10 Famous Video Game Franchises That Haven't Made Anything Good In Years

8. Mass Effect

One of the younger franchises on this list, Mass Effect already has all the hallmarks of a series that's overstayed its welcome. After two genre-defining releases, Bioware and EA totally dropped the ball with a rushed third instalment that became a complete laughing stock with fans.

The game could have been something special - and there are real moments of genius tucked in there - it's just that the obviously rushed development shows at every angle. Side quests turned into bland fetch quests, dialogue options were limited to two responses rather than three, and it goes without saying that Bioware was crushed under the weight of tying off the story in a satisfying way that also honored the choices players made across the saga.

The devs got another chance with Mass Effect Andromeda, which had a whole new galaxy of possibilities to play with. Sadly, despite high ambitions, this game was even worse than ME3 - or at the very least, more forgettable.

The franchise is currently "on ice" at EA, and it's probably for the best.